By Andrew Smith
Basketball season is just around the corner, and both our men’s and women’s teams are fine-tuning their techniques as they prepare to hit the hardwood in just a few days. The women’s team had a disappointing 2022 and finished with a record of 10-16, falling to Southern Connecticut State University in the opening round of the NE10 Championship in a close 66-72 game. One of the returning players is Maura Carney, who is entering her third season on the team and is ready to flip the script in 2023.
Carney is from the Garden State and attended Jackson Liberty High School. During her high school career, she left as the first and only girl to top 1,000 points and became the all-time leading scorer in school history. In addition, in 2019-’20, she placed in the top 10 in total three-pointers made in New Jersey.
Family was always at the center of her athletic development. She comes from a large one where she was the youngest of four children. Carney described her family as strong role models through their emphasis on work ethic and determination, which had a strong influence on her life.
Carney reflected on a favorite childhood memory. “One of my favorite memories is playing basketball outside with my brother until it was completely dark out; we did this a lot. My parents were begging for us to come inside for dinner, but we couldn’t stop playing,” she said.
When looking at what athletes serve as inspiration, Carney emphasized professional and collegiate women’s basketball players who are becoming prominent figures in the sports world. Collegiate athletes like Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers and professionals like Sabrina Ionescu and Haley Jones are to name a few. “I look up to all these players. They play with so much confidence, and as a player, I am trying to emulate that.”
Many reasons went into her decision to become a Panther. “The minute I stepped on campus, I felt a connection to the school. I find the campus absolutely beautiful, as well as the surrounding neighborhood.”
She also explained how the distance between Garden City and Jackson, New Jersey was the perfect distance and provided her the opportunity to be in a new environment but also not far from home.
When looking back on her first two years, the communications major’s favorite memory is traveling with her teammates. During the season, AU athletic teams take trips across the country to compete in conference games and even tournaments. This season, the women’s basketball team will be taking stops in many different locations in the northeast, such as Vermont, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
“Sometimes traveling can be exhausting, bus rides are long, you miss class, and it’s the cold winter, but our team really bonds during that time,” Carney said. “When I look back in a few years at my time at Adelphi, what will always stand out to me is the friends I made and the laughs we shared.”
While 2022 was disappointing, the players are ready to put the mistakes in the rearview mirror. “We knew where we needed to improve after last season and came in this year conquering those weaknesses,” said Carney. “Everyone put in a lot of hard work over the summer in order to be a successful team from top to bottom. This year is a new year, and we are ready to see what it has in store. We have some new talent and the team is blending together really well. I am excited to see what this year has in store and just super excited to learn and grow together as a team.”
Come out and support our Panthers as they open the season with a two-game homestand beginning on Nov. 15 and 18 as they welcome American International College and Mercy University, respectively.